Know Your Fortified Wines- The Port Wine of Portugal

Port Wines is a fortified wine produced in Douro Valley in Portugal. Outside Portugal, it is produced in Canada, Argentina, France, United States, Australia, and India.

From where did Port Wine get its name?

Port Wine got its name from ‘Porto’ port on the Douro river, which was the place where the port wine used to be exported to other countries in Europe in 17^th Century.

Grape Varieties

Tinta Cão, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional are the grape varieties from which Port Wine is produced. Touriga Francesa is the most widely grown port grape.

Preparation of Port Wine

Port Wine is produced from the grapes grown especially from Douro region of Portugal. 

During the making of port wine, it is not allowed to complete fermentation. Incomplete fermentation leaves the residual sugar behind and fortification is done by adding grape spirit ‘Aguardente’ which increases the alcohol content after which the wine is stored in barrels and aged before bottling.

Types of Port Wine

·         Tawny Port is made from red grapes. Gradual Oxidation and evaporation in wooden barrels’ results in a golden-brown color wine with a nutty flavor. Consumed as a dessert wine. Tawny port goes best with Stilton, King of English Cheese, Jalapenos and Cheddar. Also pairs well with Apple, Cream, and Almond tarts.

·         Ruby Port is the cheapest and most widely produced port. Does not generally improve with age. Pairs well with Dark Chocolate truffles.

·         Rose Port is fermented like rose wine but during fermentation little exposure to grape skin imparts it rose color.

·         Colheita Port is aged in tawny style for at least for 7 years.

·         White Port is an excellent choice to create cocktails.

·         Crusted Port is a blend of port wine from several different vintages.

Port Wine in Australia

In Australia, according to a change in Wine Australia Corporation Act 1980, ‘Port’ word is no longer used with the Port Wine, which is used especially port wines coming from Portugal, but rather called ‘Vintage, ruby and tawny fortified’.

Fortified Wines - For the Sake of Wine Preservation

What do Fortified Wines Mean?

Wines are classified in many ways. On the basis of grape varieties used to make wine, these are classified as Red, White or Mixed. On the basis of ingredients which give it a special character, these are classified as Sparkling and Fortified. These are also classified on the basis of taste, such as Sweet or Dry. Then there are Dessert wines to be consumed after the meals. Among these varied classifications, it is the fortified wines which are made by addition of another type of alcohol to the wine. In these wines, brandy is added to the wines and this makes it different from the others.

How did it all began?

Fortification in wines, or addition of ethanol (brandy) to the wine, began around the middle of the 17^th century. It is said that this addition happened due to some accident. Fortification helps in preserving the wine for a long period of time. Ethanol has antiseptic properties and this is what prevents the wine from getting damaged. But, this knowledge is unlikely to have contributed to the making of fortified wines because the antiseptics were discovered about a century later.

Is only brandy used in making of Fortified wines?

Brandy is the most common and also the most preferred item to be added to the wine to make it fortified. But, it is not the only item which can be added. The spirit to be added can be derived from a number of products, such as grapes, sugarcane, sugar beet or even grains. However, the local laws determine which spirit is to be used in making of fortified wines. So, you would find different flavours of these wines from different regions of the world. It is always interesting to know how different wines are fortified.

With respect to the flavour of these wines, it can be said that besides the nature of spirit, another important factor which determines the flavour is the method of distillation used. Generally, two methods are used: column still and pot still. Column stills are used for continuous and sustainable distillation process whereas pot stills are used for distillation in batches. These impart different flavours to fortified wines. Regional laws determine which of these would be used to make it.

What are some of the famous fortified wines?

Madeira (produced in Madeira Islands), Marsala (produced from Sicily), Mistelle, Moscatel de Setubal and Port Wines (from Portugal), Sherry (from Jerez region of Spain) and Vermouth are some of the world renowned fortified wines. These vary in flavour and style.